Portable support devices equipped with flexible straps (e.g. chains, leather straps, etc.) adapted for adjustable securance to vertical projections in support of weighted objects at elevated positions are known. Such devices are often used by outdoorsmen and sportsmen to climb trees or as tree stands. illustrative patents disclosing such devices include U.S. Pat. Nos.: 1,206,574; 2,394,203; 3,368,725; 3,885,649; 4,113,058; 4,124,094; 4,475,627; 4,484,660; and 4,600,081.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,081, to Wade, relates to a portable tree seat comprised of a platform, connected to symmetrically aligned support plates laterally separated from and permanently connected to one another by means of two elongaed traverse members. U.S. Pat. No. 2,394,203 by Pruder discloses a portable tree seat comprising a seat structure having a central seat support member, a chain attached to one end of the seat structure for looping around a tree, and two pronged members hinged to the underside of the seat for engagement to the tree. The U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,649 to Damron discloses a tree stand comprised of a platform attached laterally to a chain adaptable to encircling a tree with the platform being affixed onto a support member equipped with converging sharpened legs extending from the underside thereof for placement into the tree. The U.S. Pat. No. 1,206,574 by Miller appertains to a tree scaffolding device having a platform fitted with outwardly projecting spurs at one end of the platform and a brace arm, projecting downwardly from the platform, fitted with a terminal spur for engagement with the tree. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,627, to Eastridge, disclosed a combination camp stool and tree stand having a chain wedge bar combination which reportedly provides a stable tree mount without damage to the tree. The remaining U.S. patents cited above appertain to devices which similarly illustrate other variations of such devices.
As typified by the aforementioned cited U.S. patents, a major prior art problem arises from the inability to provide a light weight, compact, easily transportable, readily engagable and disengagable pole climbing or support device without sacrificing its stability, tenaciousness of grip, over-all safety and efficacy. Improvements in one or more of such undesirable deficiences of prior devices has generally accomplished at the expense of other equally important functional attributes. As typified by the aforementioned cited patents, sportsmen and outdoorsmen have long desired a light weight, compact climbing or support device which may be easily carried into the remote wilderness areas while also affording tenacious and safe securance onto a vertical projection at the desired elevational height. Attempts to reduce the over-all bulkiness and weight of such prior devices have generally been at the expense of safety, durability, stability, load bearing capacity, and over-all efficacy of the device. The prior art devices designed for increased weight bearing capacity have been generally accomplished through implementation of heavier, more bulky and complex design at the expense of convenience, portability and general inability for the single unassisted sportsman or outdoorsman to easily and safely secure the device at the desired elevational height.
Notwithstanding prior attempts to increase weight bearing capacity and to achieve a more firm securance and stability of the device onto trees or other similar objects through reliance upon the more heavier, bulky and complex designs, these prior devices still lack the means for safely, securely and tenaciously locking the device onto such vertical projections. Although the prior devices have been equipped with cleated or sharpened members to functionally serve as an ancillary load bearing support, a major portion of the weight bearing support in such devices remains predominately borne by the frictional grip of its strap or chain supports. The pole or tree engaging components of these prior art devices generally function independently of one another without any appreciable and coopertive interrelationship therebetween.
There exists a long felt need for a compact, light-weight pole climbing or weight bearing device which combines the performance, the versatility, convenience, durability, safety, ease for engagement and disengagement at the desired height, reliability, portability, load bearing capacity, stability, and cooperative interrelationship between its engaging components to firmly secure and lock the device onto a tree or other similar vertical projection. The inventor sought to overcome these prior art deficiencies by creating an improved portable weight bearing device which collectively embodies these desired functional attributes into one device without compromising upon its over-all efficacy for its intended purpose and use. The inventor desired to create a device which operationally functioned as a tooled instrument. A cooperative and operational functional interrelationship between the vertical projection and the device were sought by the inventor. As will become more evident from the following written description and accompanying drawngs, the climbing and weight supporting device of this invention effectively overcomes those problems inherently attendant to such prior art devices while also embodying substantial improvements thereover.